In many surgical spinal procedures, such as the correction of scoliosis, nerve root decompression, interbody fusion, tumor removal, repair of kyphosis, and treatment of other spinal defects or trauma, it is desirable or necessary to supply forces by compression and/or distraction to vertebrae in the defective region. In some cases, the defective region includes lordotic curvature. The defective region may also include multiple levels of vertebrae. In some cases, one of the levels of the spine must be skipped during the compression and distraction procedures.
Typically, pedicle screws are inserted into the vertebrae of the defective region and spinal rods are used to rigidly fix the vertebrae relative to one another. Screw extenders may be used to assist with insertion of the spinal rods and to transmit the compressive and distracting forces of a compressor/distractor instrument. While there are instruments that exist for applying these forces to the spine, there remains a need for instruments and methods that improve surgeon efficiency and provide the surgeon additional options in the application of such forces. The present invention is directed toward meeting these needs and others including providing options that permit skipping levels of the spine during compression and distraction procedures.